The Almeida to Present 'Kicking a Dead Horse'

The Almeida will present 16 performances only of Sam Shepard's latest play Kicking a Dead Horse.  Following a run at The Public Theater in New York, this Abbey Theatre, Dublin production is directed by the author and stars Stephen Rea. Designs are by Brien Vahey with lighting by John Comiskey and costume design by Joan Bergin.  Kicking a Dead Horse will run from 5 – 20 September with press night on 10 September.  

Sam Shepard's new play Kicking a Dead Horse is the story of Hobart Struther, a wealthy Manhattan art dealer, who has ditched his shiny city life in search of authenticity in the modern-day wild west.  Shepard's play received its world premiere at The Abbey Theatre, Dublin last year and will have a New York run at The Public Theatre in June.   

Sam Shepard has written over 45 plays - including Simpatico, True West, Fool for Love and A Lie of the Mind - eleven of which have won Obie Awards.  As an actor he has appeared in numerous films, including The Right Stuff for which he was nominated for an Oscar, as well as more recently The Accidental Husband and The Assassination of Jesse James.  His other awards include the Pulitzer Prize for Buried Child and the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Paris, Texas.  Michael Attenborough's critically acclaimed production of Shepard's The Late Henry Moss was presented by the Almeida in 2006 in its European premiere.

Academy Award nominated Stephen Rea has had a distinguished career spanning film, theatre and television. He has performed extensively at The National Theatre, Hampstead Theatre and the Royal Court as well as Dublin's Gate Theatre and Field Day Theatre Company, which he helped to establish in 1980.  In London he was most recently seen in Harold Pinter's Celebration at the Albery Theatre marking the author's 75th birthday.  In 2004 Rea received honorary degrees from the Universities of Belfast and Ulster for his contribution to theatre and the performing arts.  His many feature film credits include The Crying Game, Pret-a-Porter, Michael Collins, The Butcher Boy, The End of the Affair, V for Vendetta, Breakfast on Pluto and most recently, Jumper.  In 2007 he appeared on BBC 4 in Michael Frayn's Copenhagen and also on C4 in Harold Pinter's Celebration.

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